Strategic plan on MAPS board agenda

October 8, 2012

MARQUETTE - The Marquette Area Public Schools Board of Education will finalize a list of goals outlined at a previous meeting during its regular Monday night meeting.

The meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in Room 210 of the Graveraet School.

The board discussed several goals for itself at its Sept. 24 meeting, including setting aside time during the first meeting of every month for an informational update on the district's happenings, improving themselves as board members by attending classes on how to serve on a school board and improving communication between the superintendent and the board as well as the district and the community as a whole.

In other action, the board will vote Monday on two resolutions calling for a "no" vote on both Michigan statewide ballot proposals numbers two and five.

Proposal 2, if passed, would amend the state constitution to permanently establish collective bargaining rights for public and private employees. The resolution being presented to the board states "Proposal 2 represents unprecedented changes" and would "likely negate recent legislative reforms to the Teachers' Tenure Act that have given school boards greater ability to terminate ineffective teachers and retain effective teachers in layoff and recall situations."

Proposal 5, if passed, would amend the sate constitution to ensure no law on taxes - either to raise or lower them - could be passed without a super-majority two-thirds vote of both the state House and Senate. The proposal could give a large amount of power to 13 state senators, as their "yay" or "nay" votes could stop any tax legislation from passing through the state Legislature.

The board will also discuss its operational millage. It will soon need to attempt to renew the current 18-mill levy on non-homestead properties within the district.

When calculating its annual foundation allowance, the state automatically assumes every school district is collecting the operational millage, so if voters decided not to renew the millage, the district would see a roughly $8.5 million loss.

The millage expires at the end of the next school year.

The board will also hear presentations on its new strategic plan as the district continues to work to formulate a new vision for the future.